Electronic books debut at Burbank public libraries on Wednesday

Burbank residents no longer need to leave home to check out library books.

The city announced Monday that its ebooks will be available for the first time on Aug.1.

“We’re very excited to be able to add this service,” Sharon Cohen, the library services director, said in a statement.

The library currently has 1,200 electronic titles available, with more on the way. Patrons can check out up to five ebooks at a time for seven to 14 days on most electronic devices, except the Nook ereader.

To download ebooks to personal reading devices, patrons need to visit the “Magic Wall” on the library’s website and use the pin number found on their library card. Patrons also need to download the free application, “Blio.”

Books can be downloaded to all Android tablets and phones, iPads, iPods, iPhones, Kindle Fires and Ultrabooks.

Also in her statement, Cohen thanked the Friends of the Burbank Library, which pitched in $20,000 for the software and book titles.

The demand for ebooks among Burbank patrons was first reflected last summer when 60% of 605 people who took surveys said they wanted to see electronic books in the city’s libraries.

Burbank joins Glendale and Pasadena with its latest roll out — part of a growing trend among public libraries.